O’Reilly rules at Rosehill

Champion WS sire O’Reilly was this afternoon a major player at Rosehill where he scooped the Group One pool. His daughter Silent Achiever upstaged her rivals in the Ranvet Stakes while the stallion’s grand-daughter Steps In Time won the Coolmore Classic.

For Silent Achiever it was an overdue major reward after she had weighed in five previous times at the highest level in Australia for breeder-owner Kevin Hickman and trainer Roger James. “I felt all week that we were a far better chance than what we were rated,” James said. “It was a magnificent ride from Nash (Rawiller) as we have come to expect. She was always going to go onto the BMW. We’ll make a decision after that whether go to the Sydney Cup or back to the Queen Elizabeth.”

Silent Achiever kept pacemaker Carlton House within her sights and wore down the Queen’s horse close to home to take the honours by a neck. “The writing had been on the wall for some time and Roger said the blinkers had helped her improve a couple of lengths,” Rawiller said. “I thought the mare was right up to winning these good races in Australia and full credit to Roger and Vinnie Colgan, who has been riding her at home.”

Earlier, a daring ride by Jim Cassidy won the Coolmore Classic for the Joe Pride-trained Steps In Time, who is out of a half-sister by O’Reilly to Group One winners Glamour Puss and Vision And Power, who was also prepared by Pride. “He (Cassidy) told us what he was going to do and I wasn’t about to give Jimmy instructions,” Pride said. “Bold ride from Jimmy, he only just got it right but when it comes off it looks good doesn’t it? “He got it spot on what can I say? She’s got the Group One beside her name now, got a fantastic pedigree and she’s related to Vision And Power another one of my champs.”